WAVES do exercises on the lawn of Hunter College, which was used at the Navy’s boot camp for women during World War II.
The photo comes from the National Archives.
Tag Archives: Bronx
Making a Splash
WAVES get a taste of summer! Swimming was part of the recreational activities for WAVES at their training school in the Bronx. Here, the women learn the basics.
The 1943 photograph comes from the National Archives.
Church Services
This paperwork from the U.S. Naval Training School in the Bronx for WAVES (at the former Hunter College) outlines the schedule for religious services. Note there are only three options: Catholic, Protestant and Jewish. It dates from June 11, 1943.
It comes from the special collections in the Schlesinger Library at the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study.
Trial Run
WAVES at the Hunter College boot camp get a chance to try out the Link Instructor first hand, c. 1943. The machine was used to train pilots during World War II. In this photo, you see a WAVE in the cockpit holding a mic, and in the background a second WAVE giving her “instructions” from the controller desk.
The photograph comes from the Schlesinger Library at the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study at Harvard University.
The Link
An close-up shot of the “plane” used as part of Link training, on display for WAVES boots at the Hunter College boot camp in the Bronx, c. 1943. The “plane” sat on a pedestal and helped pilots learn the techniques of flight.
The photograph comes from the Schlesinger Library at the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study at Harvard University.
Link Controller
WAVES at the Hunter College boot camp see the controller of a Link Instructor up close. The machine was used for pilot training, and the instructor would sit at this control panel manipulating the “plane” port of the device to simulate flight.
The photograph comes from the Schlesinger Library at the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study at Harvard University.
Where in the World?
Another important thing for WAVES boots to know: where the Navy was fighting during World War II. The Hunter College boot camp instructed them in the various battle arenas, including how ships would travel across the seas.
The photograph comes from the Schlesinger Library at the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study at Harvard University.
Navy Protocol
WAVES at the Hunter College boot camp learned every aspect of military life. Here, they’re leaning the various Naval protocol, including the process for a regimental review.
The photograph comes from the Schlesinger Library at the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study at Harvard University.
Boot Camp Guest
One of these things is not like the other….
A (male) guest stands out from the crowd as he listens to a lecture at the WAVES boot camp at Hunter College in the Bronx, c. 1943.
The photograph comes from the Schlesinger Library at the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study at Harvard University.
Boot Camp Instruction
Today we begin a series of posts about WAVES boot camp at Hunter College.
WAVE boots learn about the chain of command at the USS Hunter, the boot camp training facility in the Bronx, New York. USS Hunter was the former Hunter College, a women’s college commandeered for the WAVES for the duration of the war in early 1943.
The photograph comes from the Schlesinger Library at the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study at Harvard University.
Hinges of History 